FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS!
By FRANCO
This week my new book goes on sale: Chase Speedington and The Last Dragon’s Breath.
The journey to getting something like this published goes through a long and winding road. Not always the case but it was with this one. I had an idea for a book. I approached artist Mike Hartigan about the project and he said yes. Lucky me!
Unfortunately, for reasons, we had to drop that project. I was grateful for Mike and his willingness to work on that with me and I didn’t want to lose him. I asked him if there was anything else he would want to work on, and we agreed on Chase.
I sat down and started to swish things around in my head and it took me a good six months to come up with a plan. It was fun and not the usual way I would approach a project.
Anyway, years later, after knocking on some doors and showing it to various people/companies, Papercutz took a chance, and I’m so grateful they did.
This is a creator-owned project and comes with its own set of challenges. It doesn’t have a built-in audience with characters people already know, like say Superman or the Teen Titans, so you have to hope that the artwork (of which I’m extremely confident in) and the story (of which I write and always have terrible anxiety and dread about) are something that people will like.
But before that even happens you need to get it into the hands of people without them knowing too much about it.
There’re things you do. For example, my renditions of Chase that I’m drawing for the first time for public viewing and presenting here, are for a limited number of sales. Hopefully a bunch of people see them and ask, “What is this about?” I tried to make them in my own style, while still capturing Mike’s.
I’ve reached out to a friend in Judd Winick — of Hilo fame and other things — and he seemed to love the book and gave a glowing review. I spoke to a few librarians and they gave honest and pleasing feedback.
Whether more happens or not is up to everyone out there. The audience that I hope it finds. And there’s never any guarantee but it’s what I do and I kinda love it.
I truly hope you consider getting a copy. It would mean a lot.
Happy Friday!
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Want more FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS? Come back next week!
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MORE
— SUCH TIMING! Drawing Lessons With BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN. Click here.
— It’s OK to Acknowledge BOB KANE’s Role in Creating BATMAN. Click here.
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Franco and his forehead have traveled the world and he writes and draws stuff. Franco is the creator, artist and writer of Patrick the Wolf Boy and Aw Yeah Comics! Franco has worked on books/comics, including Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures. Franco was also a high-school teacher and is one of the principal owners of Aw Yeah Comics retail stores. Dan made Franco add that he has won three Eisners.
